Slug form



NOV. 21, 1933. w H, RITENOUR 1,935,668

SLUG FORM Original Filed Oct. 22, 1930 U 31T 7 i u 13 i i 7" .I 'lri MSH WH 2'5 i i 13 Fix! l; 47 H I; 414 M14" 4' 1l 5- proposed.

Patented Nov. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLUG FORM William H. Ritenour, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application October 22, 1930, Serial No. 490,496 I Renewed February 23, 1933 V 6 Claims. (Cl. 101404) This invention relates to improvements in devices for holding the units of a type-form.

The object of the invention is to provide a frame in which the type form may be flexibly 5 secured and thereby eliminate transpositions and To prevent pieing of forms and scattering of types it has long been the custom to tiea light string of cord around the form. Metal furniture with a groove for string space is one form of tie-up. Various frame devices have been i I attain the objects of my invention by anovel method, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and in which-- 1 Figure 1 'is a plan view, showing a slug form 20 securely bound within a frame; A

i Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a corner of the frame as held by the spring-wire clip;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a corner of the frame showing clip before it has been sprung into holding position;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of spring-wire clip;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showingframe removed from grooved edge of slug form.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The bars 10, and 11, 11, which form the frame shown in Fig. 1 are held around the form by the four clips 12, 12, 12, 12. The bars 10, 10 are formed slightly less in length than the depth of the form, and the top and bottom bars 11, 11, are formed slightly less in length than the overall dimension of form and side bars. Grooves 13 are provided at ends of bars, into which the clips 12 are inserted.

While all kinds of type composition may bev enclosed in a similar manner, the detent feature (Fig. 5) is generally applicable only to slug forms. The handling of a slug form is accordingly described in this specification but this is done by way of example only and without limiting the scope of the invention thereby.

The type slugs 14 and low leads 15 (Fig. 5) which comprise the form are assembled in the usual manner on a printers galley. A groove 16 is'cut along both sides of form. A shoulder 17 of side bar 10 fits into this groove and prevents any possibility of the low leads 15 working up on press. As clearly shown in Fig. 5, the groove 16 is always out in such dimensions as will allow plenty of clearance when shoulder 17 is inserted therein, and the groove 16 is so positioned along ends of slugs that when the bar 10 is fitted thereto in made-up printing position the shoulder 1'7 will have clearance on each of its three sides. It is pointed out that the shoulder 17 does not become an integral part of the type-form when fitted into its groove, its sole purpose being that of a detent. A straight pin may be substituted for the shoulder on side bar, if desired. Work-ups are frequently the cause of much spoilt work and their elimination is a very important feature of my invention. The co-acting groove and shoulder likewise will prevent drop-outs, which often 7 occur in moving forms locked in chases, and the slugs cannot bulge when carelesslyhandled by an operative. The form, for all practical purposes, is'rendered the equivalent of a solid piece of metal.

It will be;noted (Fig. 1) that the first and last slugs of type-form are always formed thick enough to provide a continuous co-acting groove 16 for insertion of the shoulder 1'7, although the side bar 10 length is less than the type-form length both before and after lock-up compression. By thus providing a continuous type groove 16 for a relatively short side bar 10 a flexibility in handling is attained that is very essential. An obvious modification would be to form the top and bottom bars 11, 11 slightly less in length than the type-slug length and continue the groove 7 through them in' the same manner as in the type-form. The side bars 10 in this instance would be formed about six typographical points (.083) less in length than the overall dimensions for the type-form and end bars 11, 11. The type-form and frame in either assemblage, when flexibly fastened together, will adjust itself Without binding on any of its parts when the 95 varying squeeze of the chase lock-up is applied. No provision is made for an accurate jointing of frame at any corner; it is deliberately avoided by shortening the enclosing bars in the manner described. In handling regular course of work, 100 any twist in the form may be easily corrected by holding the form in a try-square and lightly tapping it back to true.

With side bars 10 and end bars 11 surrounding the form, the clips 12 are inserted in the grooves 13. The methods of insertion will vary with individual preference. Figure 3 shows one prong of clip inserted in groove and the other prong free. The free prong may be inserted by pushing it laterally over into its groove, as shown in Fig. 2. 1110 The prongs of clips 12 are tapered towards each other at their ends at an angle of about 15 degrees, as shown in Fig. 4, and when clips are inserted in grooves these prongs will be bent outward and held practically in vertical position under spring pressure. It will be noted that this method of bending also tends to prevent the clip from rising when form is worked on press.

The top of the clip will also be sprung slightly at its middle curve by locating the grooves 13 in bars 10, 11 a little out of register with relation to dimensions of clip. Thus, an evenly disposed squeeze is spread along the sides of the groovedorder to make the form lift when removing it from the table on which it was imposed. This reducedquoin pressure is necessary in order to allow the various printing-character units of the form to lie flat on the press bed, since a tight lock-up will invariably lift certain parts, due to the binding caused by inherent inaccuracies that exist in every type-form. The adjustment of'the quoin squeeze'will naturally vary according to the feel of the individual pressman but the object is always the same-to prevent binding so that the printing units will rest flat on the press bed. This relative loosening of the form renders work-ups unavoidable in an ordinary typeform. Itis pointed out that the detent, or checking device, used to prevent the rise of spacing material, is loosely fitted in its groove and will not in any way affect the squeezing together of the elements comprising the type-form when the quoin pressure is applied.

' This invention provides a flexible and eflicient tie-up that may be instantly taken apart for the purpose of making typographical alterations and corrections. Slug forms may be stored with the certainty that there will be no change in their contents aslong as the frame in which they are bound remains intact. The necessity for electrotyping many book jobs in order to prevent errors in handling loose slugs is eliminated.

I claim:

1. A type-form comprising a plurality of character slugs and spacing strips, said type-form having a continuous groove formed in the ends of the character slugs and spacing strips, in combination with a loose-fittingdetent extending at right angles to the lengths of the slugsand adapted to check the rise of the spacing strips during the printing operation, substantially as described.

" -2. A type-form comprising a plurality of character slugs and spacing strips, said type-form having a continuous groove formed in the ends of the character slugs and spacing strips, in combination with a 'side bar extending at right angles to the length of the slugs, said side bar bearing a shoulder adapted to fit such groove with a clearance on all three of its sides and at its ends, substantially as described. 7

3. A type-form comprising a plurality of character slugs and spacing strips, said type-form having a continuous groove formedin the ends of the character slugs and spacing strips, in combination with detents yieldingly inserted in said grooves, and fastening means for said typeform, which consist of four straight bars, twoof which are adapted to retain the detents.

4. The herein described method of binding a slug-form, which consists in attaching sidebars bearing detents alongside the grooved ends of the slugs comprising the form, said detents being adapted to enter in the groove spaces withclearance on their three sides and ends, in the manner described. 7

5. In combination, a compressible type-form and a non-compressible detent element, said detent being adapted to yieldingly'fit both before and after compression of the type-form inside all of the recessedends of the type-slugs and spacing strips comprising such typeorm, in the manner described. 6. As a newarticle of manufacture, a side bar 10, bearing 8. lug on the side normally fitted against the grooved ends of a column of slugs, and bearing on its opposite side two clip grooves 13, 13, in the manner and for the purpose described.

WILLIAM H. RITENOUR. 

